Mill Creek Homestead specializes in soaps, salves

Dec. 4, 2013

Kristi Adelsberger, owner of Millcreek Homestead, pours liquid lemongrass soap into a mold to eventually cut into bars for sale. Adelsberger makes all soaps, balms, sprays, and butters in her home in Millcreek Township with all organic materials. / Julie Ames/Tribune

About the Series

The Coshocton Tribune will be profiling local crafters and artists who sell products they make through Commonwealth Americana, inside Kiefer's Florist, 381 Hill St. Learn more about the business at www.facebook.com/commonwealthamericana or call 740-622-3993. Previously profiled were woodworker Jim Shroyer, quilter and purse maker Carol Shriver and birdhouse builder Jared Michael. Also profiled have been glasswork artist Doug Anderson, metal sculptor Todd Malenke, quilter Mary-Louise Newell, painter Megan Lightell and Whitewoman Pottery. Those five, plus wool applique artist Donna Sadler, are part of the “Coshocton Crossroads: Living Traditions in the Heart of Ohio” exhibit running through Jan. 5 in Roscoe Village. For more information about the exhibit, visit www.coshocton crossroads.com.

COSHOCTON — A drive to provide all-natural products for her children led one local woman to create a line of soaps, linen sprays, salves, oils, lotions, lip balms and more.

Kristi Adelsburger operates Mill Creek Homestead out of her home off Ohio 83. She sells items at Commonwealth Americana, Local Bounty, Harvest at the Woodward in Mount Vernon and Wholesome Valley in Wilmot. Adelsburger doesn’t sell online, but she said she ships to people, some as far away as California, who have purchased products while visiting the area.

The holiday season is busy, she said, and she’s combined various products into gift boxes. One box has a lavender theme and the other has a mint theme. The gift boxes will be priced at less than $20.

One signature item is a bar of soap with a small rubber duck imbedded in it. After the soap is used, the duck can be saved. She makes more soap than any other product — about 100 bars per month. She jokes that some of the bars look like fudge.

“I do have to tell people it’s not edible,” she said.

Adelsburger said all-natural ingredients are better for the skin. She said a lot of store-bought soaps contain detergents that dry the skin out, while the natural glycerin her soaps contain is good for moisturizing.

Oils, lye and other ingredients are blended together and then poured into a wooden soap box. It sits for a day and is then cut into bars and placed on a shelf to cure for about a month before selling. The longer it sits, Adelsburger said, the more moisture dries out of it and the longer it will last in the shower.

One soap she creates is mixed with coffee, another is from camomile tea and a couple of others are made from coconut milk and goat milk.

“The base liquid is where you get to have a lot of fun,” she said.

The foaming hand soap she makes is different because of the oils used. For the hand soap, the ingredients are cooked into a paste on the stove and then liquids are added to dilute it.

Adelsburger said she’s self-taught from reading books and watching videos online. She started out in her kitchen, but now she has a room in her home devoted to the business.

“I’m into natural things and this was just a natural progression,” she said of getting into making skin care products.

Adelsburger said her daughter Hanna, 12, likes to help her, and her two boys, Noah, 14, and Luke, 10, also have shown interest. The kids also help in the garden where a lot grown and harvested makes it into the skin care products. She also sells homemade granola.

Several leaves, herbs and flowers from the garden are used for the salves and oils. Oils absorb the properties of the herbs in jars. The plant matter is strained off and the oil is mixed with beeswax to make a salve. It soaks about six months.

The lip balm is similar by mixing oils and beeswax. Adelsburger has a special tray that makes the special tube shape and then the balm is put into containers.